Halloween 2026's Haunted Cinematic Playback Extravaganza – The Manifestation of Ectoplasmic-Saturated Spook, Spectre, or Ghost Movies
Introduction
Halloween season is back, and with it comes another thread of horror flicks. That means it's that time of year when I dedicate the month of October to a specific genre of horror and thriller films.
Last year, I watched a bunch of 1980s horror movies, one movie from each year of the decade, and commented on each one in a string of reviews I collectively called, "Halloween 2025’s rewind of terror ’80s horror movie thread extravaganza - the revenge!"
The year before that, I dedicated October to vampire movies. Before that, it was the Leprechaun movies. And before that, I watched the first 15 Godzilla movies. This year, I'm going all in on paranormal horror, or haunted horror. Ghost flicks! Call it what you will. I'm referring to movies that involve ghosts depicted in some way or another so long as the movies are clearly about ghostly hauntings.
Make no mistake. The antagonists in these movies I'm watching for this thread are spirits. Not zombies. Not demons. In fact, I'm intentionally staying clear of demonic/ occult movies. They're not vampires either, or any other form of the living dead. They're just...dead!
When it comes to movie monsters, I'd have to say ghosts are my personal favorite. The "what-if" factor when it comes to ghost stories and hauntings is captivating. But don't worry. I'm not one to actually attempt to conjure up ghosts, nor do I have any desire to.
When it comes to movie monsters, I'd have to say ghosts are my personal favorite. The "what-if" factor when it comes to ghost stories and hauntings is captivating. But don't worry. I'm not one to actually attempt to conjure up ghosts, nor do I have any desire to.
I don't need ghosts flying around my house, opening my fridge and cupboards at 3 am, moving my car keys six inches to the left, using my checkbook to write bad checks, knocking on walls for no obvious reason, calling my name from the basement when I get up during the night to go to the bathroom, and doing whatever else ghosts do because they won't get a job and have to rub it in my face.
When it comes to the paranormal, the whole thing is more mysterious than outer space. Once someone's in the spiritual realm, there's no coming back.
When the body and the soul are separated from each other, both things are considered disturbing. People are repulsed by dead bodies. And ghosts freak us all out.
When the body and the soul are separated from each other, both things are considered disturbing. People are repulsed by dead bodies. And ghosts freak us all out.
Plus, the term "haunted" is as quintessential a Halloween gimmick more than anything else. It's a term that can be slapped on anything just to make it Halloween-appropriate. Haunted houses. Haunted malls. Haunted Cadillacs. Haunted hospitals. Haunted dolls. Haunted bowling alleys. Haunted office supply stores. Haunted computer passwords. Haunted hamster cages. Haunted utility closets. The list goes on!
This year, I have a sizeable list of titles, and many of those films I really want to watch. Since I'm starting this thread in May, instead of just picking out 10 titles I'm going to work through as many titles as I can get to and then post whatever I finish. Maybe it'll be 10. Maybe it'll be more. Maybe less.
There's a lot of good titles I could start off with, but I think this one is perfect. "Burnt Offerings" from 1976.
Director
Dan Curtis
Karen Black - Marian Rolf
Oliver Reed - Ben Rolf
Lee H. Montgomery - Davey Rolf
Bette Davis - Elizabeth Rolf
Burgess Meredith - Arnold Allardyce
Eileen Heckart - Roz Allardyce
Dub Taylor - Walker
Anthony James - the Chauffer
I'm starting off the creepy season with a supernatural horror flick I've had on my "gotta watch" list for years. That's no exaggeration.
"Burnt Offerings," directed by Dan Curtis and based on the Robert Morasco novel, is a movie with a haunted house as its main character. And it's a haunted house that studies its inhabitants while it haunts them.
But it's not just haunted. The house seems to be alive.
"Burnt Offerings" attracted me primarily because of the big names attached to it. The film stars horror legend Karen Black, Oliver Reed (each time I see Oliver Reed, my mind goes to his performance as Bill Sikes in "Oliver!"), Bette Davis, and Burgess Meredith. And what's even better, at least for me, is that the movie was filmed at the Dunsmuir House in my hometown of Oakland, California.
The Dunsmuir-Hellman Historic Estate, built by rich coal magnate Alexander Dunsmuir in 1899, is a huge house that's been seen in other popular movies, such as "Phantasm" (1979), the James Bond flick "A View to a Kill" (1985), and "So I Married an Axe Murderer" (1993).
I used to attend the Scottish Highland Games at the Dunsmuir House back when I still lived in Oakland. I have a fondness for the house and its grounds. They're absolutely gorgeous! The location is perfect for a movie like "Burnt Offerings."
There's dread hiding beneath the surface of such a beautiful home, bubbling and waiting to erupt. The creepy uneasiness wafts through the entire story, growing stronger, little by little, from the beginning.
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| Oliver Reed and Bette Davis in "Burnt Offerings." |
As far as the Allardyces' mother goes, all the Rolfs need to do is leave meals outside her door each day. That's all.
While the house is livable, it's certainly in need of repairs.
Strange events begin occurring, which doesn't sit well with Ben. However, Marian is all right with overlooking these oddities because she loves staying in the house so much.
Among these strange occurrences is the house actually repairing itself. Various injuries and mishaps coincide with the frequency of the house's self-repairs. Each time one of them gets hurt, something in the house is restored all on its own.
The more it does this, the more it feeds on their life force.
Meanwhile, Marian leaves the Allardyces' mother her daily meals outside her locked bedroom door. She also attempts to speak to the mother through the door, but the mother never responds. However, the meals are being consumed. Surely someone is secretly living in the bedroom.
Meanwhile, Ben starts having nightmares and hallucinations of an eerie chauffeur (Anthony James) in black clothes, sunglasses, a pale face, and a wide grin, whom he first saw in his youth driving the hearse at his mother's funeral many years ago.
This grinning chauffeur often appears to him at random times.
The family certainly suffers as a result until Ben realizes what's going on and what the house is really doing to them. It's not something coincidental. And it doesn't take long before he understands what the house actually wants.
But his wife is so taken by the house that she can't, nor does she want to, escape it. When the paranormal happenings reach their peak, and Ben and Marian realize they absolutely need to go, only one issue remains: What are they to do about the mystery woman locked in her bedroom whom they haven't actually seen the whole time?
I love the premise of this movie. And I love that the house is a crucial character in the story.
It's Burgess Meredith and Eileen Heckart who give the story that initial ominous tone. And with Oliver Reed's character suspicious and cautious about staying there right from the start, only to be talked into it by his wife, the mood is perfectly set for the rest of this paranormal horror movie.
There's a similarity between this movie and Stephen King's story, "The Shining." Both stories have a husband, wife, and young son staying in an eerie and unsettling inn or hotel where a hidden evil lurks, preying on them slowly.
"The Shining," though, wasn't published until the following year. And Stanley Kubrick's famous movie based on King's novel wasn't released until 1980. Still, I definitely picked up on some "Shining" vibes as far as the general premise goes. I'm sure it's purely coincidental.
Lately, I've been thinking more about movies, horror and otherwise, that center on the subjects of family, isolation, and familial struggles.
As far as "Burnt Offerings" goes, it's a family up against an evil house. The house is the antagonist, whether it's haunted or simply an evil home. Something unseen and sentient is there with the family. It's the monster in the movie. It thrives little by little on their pain. And both Marian and Ben seem to transform under its influence.
The movie doesn't tell. It shows. My curious mind wanted more explanation, as the movie leaves plot points open to interpretation.
Maybe there's some deeper meaning in that premise regarding family secrets or a family's desire for wealth that leads to their deterioration. Or maybe it's simply a creative idea for a horror film.
The chauffeur adds an extra bit of perplexity to the whole thing.
There's certainly some personification of death, and of the fear of death that's always looming.
This chauffeur drives a hearse, after all. I mean, that's a little on-the-nose! Am I right? Of course, I'm right!
He also appears to Ben, whether in his memory or as an apparition, in moments of helplessness and tragedy, and when Ben recalls his personal trauma.
And when he shows up, an unnerving, predatory, and somewhat mocking grin grows on his pale face.
If the house is the killer, he must be the collector!
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| Anthony James as the Chauffer in "Burnt Offerings." |
Bette Davis's supporting performance gives the impression that she has enough experience to recognize these occurrences. Having the legendary Bette Davis in such a grandmotherly role gives the family's experiences substance and uneasiness.
And Burgess Meredith! I haven't seen a single one of his performances I didn't like. Versatile isn't a big enough word when it comes to Burgess Meredith.
The movie doesn't throw the scares in the audience's face. It trusts the audience enough to let their minds help with the scary parts. Is there really a mother staying in that locked room upstairs? What was the deal with the Allardyce siblings? What is actually possessing the house? And while that may give the impression that the film lacks impact, it's the way a story is meant to be told—by showing rather than telling.
It's a good movie to kick off this thread with.
The movie doesn't throw the scares in the audience's face. It trusts the audience enough to let their minds help with the scary parts. Is there really a mother staying in that locked room upstairs? What was the deal with the Allardyce siblings? What is actually possessing the house? And while that may give the impression that the film lacks impact, it's the way a story is meant to be told—by showing rather than telling.
It's a good movie to kick off this thread with.
